Bacon-wrapped sweet corn with basil. Creamy corn mac and cheese. Smoky shrimp and corn fritters. Come on, you guys — this is what you've been waiting for all summer long. The sweet corn is here, and it's time to glam it up in all its corny glory. Are you ready? Really, really ready?

Then come on in because we have the five most important corn recipes you need to make this summer.

(Image credit: Brie Passano)

Your Corn Deserves These Recipes

You've eaten corn on the cob since it hit the farm stand/produce aisle/farmers market. We're right there with you, slathering those golden kernels with everything from miso and harissa to the best butter we can get our hands on. But now we're ready to move on to phase two of corn season — and that means making any one (maybe all?) of these recipes, where bold flavors and cooking techniques are the name of the game.

(Image credit: Brie Passano)

Smoke Is an Ingredient

You'll see a common thread in most of these recipes, or maybe I should call it a smoke signal, because that common denominator is either the kiss of the grill or a smoky seasoning.

Corn meets smoky flavors head on. Its inherent sweetness is only amplified in smoke's presence, which is why we've featured it so prominently in these recipes. So whether that's the grilled bacon-wrapped corn cobs, the charred corn salsa, or the shrimp and corn patties infused with smoky paprika — smoke is here to play second fiddle; to support corn and give it an edge. If you want to bring some of that same smoky flavor to the creamy corn mac and cheese, simply grill the cobs before removing the kernels, and continue with the recipe.

(Image credit: Brie Passano)

Fun Techniques for New Takes on Corn

Wrapping corn in bacon feels like a no-brainer after you've had it once, but the knock-out technique from this story is how we built a better corn patty using shrimp as the binder. Shrimp is pretty sticky to begin with and when blended into a paste, it transforms into the gluten-free binder or our dreams. Corn was only too happy to join the party. And in the midst of the new methods and fun flavors, we didn't want to forget what always makes a summer dinner pop — the classic. So a golden galette filled with corn, zucchini, thyme, and feta has been gracing our table in a pure celebration of all the best flavors this season has to offer.